Can I Google Your Desktop

Google on Thursday announced the release of the first public Beta test for it's newest creation Google Desktop Search (GDS).
GDS is a small application, less than 400k, and allows users to access e-mail, office documents, visited websites and even MSN Messenger chat logs from within a web browser.
Essentially, when you run a search string on Google your search results will now include files and folders found on your computers harddrive.
Now as cool as this may sound, I for one wouldn't recommend downloading and installing this application purely from the stand point of privacy and security.
For example, if you run Windows XP with user accounts, and someone with a limited account initiates a search, they could access files and folders on the computer administrator's account, now that's just plain scary.
Imagine someone having complete access to your business e-mail and documents by just doing a search on Google from your computer.
Now normally I love everything Google does, and I am almost always involved with any sort of Beta test they offer, but I think this time I will definitely pass on the opportunity to install and run GDS.
But if your the adventurous type and feel you have nothing to hide you can download and test GDS here.

Sydnicate The Geek

Ok I have finally gotten off my butt and syndicated Confessions Of A Closet Geek through XML and RSS.
You can now add my blog to your RSS reader by clicking on the XML button on the right hand side of the page.
In addition I will be adding a headline feed from my blog to my website, so if you are on JamesMason.ca you can see the title of all my blog postings within the last month. Blog archives will not be available through RSS or XML, not yet anyways.
So give it a try and if you find any bugs, please send me an e-mail and let me know.

The Spam Wars

Todd Marshall has a good story on ZDNet.com about a new approach in the fight against Spam. Basically all e-mail a person sends would be stored on the sender's ISP server until the intended recipient checked his e-mail and decides which e-mails he wants downloaded onto his computer.
This new approach would make it next to impossible for a Spammer to hide his identity, or spoof the headers of an e-mail and even better if the Spammer is sending out 10,000 e-mails at a time all of those messages would then be stored on his ISP's server, and I don't know of any ISP who would appreciate or tolerate a customer storing thousands of e-mails at a time on their servers.
You can read the story here.

Gates Keeps His Cool

Last week Microsoft chairman Bill Gates was addressing students at UC Berkeley when a very inquisitive student attempted to draw Gates into a verbal sparring match over what he referred to as the company's "illegal business practices", here's an excerpt (thanks to Todd Bishop of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer).

Student: You mentioned earlier, Mr. Gates, that universities are a really important source of great innovators, and so I expect that you consider being able to recruit from that source of great innovators pretty important to you. (Laughter.) So I'd like to find out if I could have a show of hands in the audience, I'd like to find out how many people in this audience might have concerns about working for a company that's been found guilty of illegal business practices, that limits the choice that its customers have to choose a product they want to use and the type of media they want to watch, and that has also been found guilty by the Federal Trade Commission of misleading the public?
Moderator: I think we get your point.
Student: Could I have a show of hands from the audience, please?
Moderator: I think we get the point. Thank you. Thank you.
BILL GATES: But what's the question?
Student: Do you think you might do better at recruiting students from universities if you improve the business practices of your company?
BILL GATES: Sure

Hey at least Bill was honest.